Submit or Track your Manuscript LOG-IN

Distribution and morphometry of 11 different genera of basidiomycetes collected from natural forests and plantations

Distribution and morphometry of 11 different genera of basidiomycetes collected from natural forests and plantations

Muhammad Arif Chaudhary and Ejaz Ahmed

ABSTRACT

Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar is maintaining the Forest Pathology Herbarium since its creation. The herbarium preserved more than 3500 specimens of Myco-pathological importance including those received from Dehradun, India. In all 175 available specimens of Agaricaceae, Russulaceae, Tricholomataceae, strophoraceae and Schizophyllaceae families of Basidiomycetes were sorted out for the purpose but 135 only are identified to their taxonomic positions while remaining 40 are awaiting generic status and even for some the distributional information about locality, host or habitat, collection date are missing. Only 66 representative well preserved specimens at the rate of at least one specimen/host/locality have been selected to study the details of their distributional and morphometric characteristics.

The results indicated that majority of the Agaricaceae (95 5%) belong to the mountain tract of Punjab (Murree), NWFP (Abbottabad, Galiat), AJK (Tarar Khel) and the remaining (4.5%) from Sindh, Hyderabad forest area and collected mostly after monsoon (87%) with only 13% after winter rains. The maximum plant height of 14.5 cm and minimum of 2.5 cm are noted. While the maximum cap width of 14.0 cm and minimum of 2.5 cm are measured among its different members. The present colour shade of the specimens includes the golden brown (37.5%), brown (12.5%), light brown (12.3%), dark brown (6.3%), copper (6.3%), deep red (12.5%), pale cream-(6.3%) and country cream (6.3%).

More than 66.6% members of Schizophyllaceae are recorded from the broad-leaved trees, with 23.8% from conifers and the remaining 9.6% from unidentified hosts distributed in the Himalayan tract of NWFP (27.8%), Punjab (42.6%), AJK (4.5%) and Sindh (24.8%). The majority (71.4%) members of this family are collected after the monsoon, while the remaining (28.6%) are after the winter rains. The maximum plant height of 1.3 cm and the minimum of stalkess , are noted amongst the family members. Where as the cap width variation is recorded from 0.3 cm to 2.2 cm. The dominating color of the specimens is clay (52.5%) followed by white and off white (30.1%), cream, pale cream and light brown (5.5% each).

50% of the members of the Tricholomataceae are collected from the humus followed by 33.3% on ground and 16.6% on the broad-leaved trees distributed in the mountainous tract of the NWFP, Punjab, AJK and Baluchistan. All the specimens are collected during monsoon season. The height of the specimens varied from 3.3 cm to 21.0 cm and width of cap from 1.7 cm to 10.5 cm. The colour variation is recorded from golden brown (40%), country cream (40%) to copper (20%).

The members of Strophoraceae are mostly (66.7%) collected from the ground and the others (33.3%) are from the broad-leaved trees distributed in mountainous tract of AJK (100%, Tarar Khel). Collection time is 100% after monsoon. The maximum height of 15.7 cm and the minimum of 3.4 cm with the maximum cap width of 7.5 cm and minimum of 1.9 cm have been recorded in these specimens. The colour of the specimens is varying from golden brown (33.3%), golden, brown sheen, copper and cream (16.7% each).

More than 40% of the Russulaceae genera are found growing on the ground followed by 31.5%-on conifers, 18.8% on broad-leaved and less than 6% on the unknown hosts. These are collected from the mountainous tract of AJK (62.5%), NWFP (25%) and Punjab (6.2% each). The collection season is altogether (100%) after monsoon. A great variation from less than 1.2 cm to 9.0 cm in plant height and cap width variation of less than 1.2 cm to 9.2 cm is also. A great variation of colour has been observed which includes brown (6.3%), golden brown (12.5%), sharp brown (6.3%), light black (6.3%), deep red (18.9%), light red (12.5%), beige (6.3%), pale cream (12.5%), country green (12.5%) and cream (6.3%)

To share on other social networks, click on any share button. What are these?

Pakistan Journal of Forestry

June

Vol. 74, Iss. 1

Featuring

Click here for more

Subscribe Today

Receive free updates on new articles, opportunities and benefits


Subscribe Unsubscribe